Mystery Ship
by Kaywinnit and Mal's Dead Whore
Summary: A mysterious box appears on Serenity with mysterious contents and mysterious consequences.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Firefly and its characters belongs to Joss Whedon, Tim Minear, Mutant Enemy and FOX. Author's Notes: I've never posted here before. Feedback is shiny. bats eyelashes Pretty please?  
  
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It was a dark and stormy night. Except for the storm part. And the night part. Because it was space. But it was dark, which was why Simon Tam, doctor, Alliance fugitive and most importantly, well-toned hottie, tripped over the box in the cargo bay. Simon had been on his way to the infirmary when the lights had gone out, leaving him stranded in the dark. As he groped his way back to the corridor, he stumbled over the box. In the dark he could hear quiet footsteps getting closer to him. "Ow!"  
  
"Mal?"  
  
"Simon, is that you?"  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"I'm sure Kaylee's trying to fix whatever went wrong with the lights. Just wait, and try not to break anything."  
  
"Thanks," Simon muttered, rubbing his bruised shin. It was a short wait. Simon blinked as the lights came on, his watery vision clearing to reveal a long box in the middle of the cargo bay.  
  
"What's with the box?" Mal asked.  
  
"It's not mine," Simon replied. "I don't even remember it being here before the lights went out."  
  
Mal lifted the lid and peered inside. "Huh." Inside the box lay Saff--that is, Bridge--um, Yo--a woman with large breasts and red hair.  
  
Simon lifted her hand and let go. It flopped back down with a thwap. "She's dead, Mal," the doctor said.  
  
"Of all the ships in all the verse, how the hell did she end up back on mine?" Mal walked over to the com and ordered everyone to the cargo bay.  
  
It was the work of a few minutes to explain the strange scene to the rest of the crew. Eveyone denied knowing anything about the dead woman or the mysterious box. Mal turned to Simon. "How'd she die?"  
  
"I'm a doctor, not a C.S.I.," Simon snapped.  
  
"CSI?" River, his highly intuitive, but heart-breakingly fragile waif of a sister asked. Her cheeks flushed as a smile broke out across her face.  
  
"Crime scene investigator," Simon answered.  
  
"Oh," River said, looking oddly disappointed.  
  
"Someone has to say it," Wash said.  
  
"Say what, honey?" Zoe asked.  
  
"Someone among us is a murderer!"  
  
Kaylee raised her hand shyly. "Um, haven't more than one of us committed murder at some time or another?" she asked.  
  
Wash rolled his eyes. "All right. Someone among us murdered her!"  
  
"And?" Zoe asked.  
  
"Well, what are we going to do about it?"  
  
"Celebrate?" Jayne suggested.  
  
"Maybe we should figure out who killed her first," Book said.  
  
"It could be any of us," Inara replied. Uneasily, everyone stepped back from each other. Simon searched their faces wondering which one them was guilty of cold-blooded murder.  
  
"I don't mean to be a pest, but didn't Simon say he didn't see Mal or the box until after the lights went out?" Everyone turned to look at Mal expectantly. Mal was a world-weary, reluctant hero not above breaking the law, but even he wouldn't murder someone in cold blood, Simon thought.  
  
"I may be a world-weary, reluctant hero not above breaking the law, but even I wouldn't murder someone in cold blood," Mal said. "Besides, I'm not the one she callously used for her own selfish pleasure and then heartlessly abandoned after impregnating."  
  
Everyone turned to Jayne. His lip began to tremble. "Why'd you leave me, Saffron?" he wailed. "I thought you were going to love me forever."  
  
Inara patted him on the back. "There, there," she said awkwardly.  
  
Jayne wiped his eyes, and tried to calm himself. "Sure, I was mad," he said, caressing his belly. "But I'd never hurt my baby's mama. 'Sides how would I have snuck her aboard? But Wash, now he could've landed the ship somewhere while we was all asleep."  
  
"It wasn't me," Wash exclaimed. "I was with Zoe all night. Yesterday, however, Book asked me to give him some privacy while he sent a wave. Maybe he was making secret plans."  
  
Everyone turned to look at Book. "Why's everyone staring at me?" he asked.  
  
"It's your turn to deny you killed her and accuse someone else," Jayne said, crossing his legs. "Hurry up, Shepherd, I got to piss. The kid's kicking me in the kidney."  
  
"Sorry," Book replied. "Um, who's left?"  
  
"River, Simon, Inara, Zoe and me," Kaylee helpfully answered.  
  
"Eeney, meeney, miney mo," Book said, his finger landing on Kaylee. "Uh, I can't think of a reason why Kaylee would murder Saff--Bridge--Yo--that woman with the red hair."  
  
"You forgot her large breasts," Mal said.  
  
"I'm a shepherd," he replied. "I don't notice these things."  
  
"Or maybe all that manly bonding and weight-lifting with Jayne has turned you sly," Mal suggested.  
  
Book looked at Mal. The captain's hand was hovering close to Simon's butt. "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," the shepherd sniffed.  
  
"Booook," Jayne whined, desperately dancing.  
  
"Sorry," Book said. "Um, I didn't murder Saffron. Kaylee probably did it to keep Saffron from exposing her deep, dark secret."  
  
"What secret?" Kaylee demanded.  
  
"How should I know? It's a secret," Book answered.  
  
"Move on, Kaylee," Jayne said.  
  
Mal slapped his hand to his forehead. "Just go to the bathroom, Jayne," he said. "We'll wait."  
  
"Uh uh, no way," Jayne said. "I've seen those cortex vids. Whenever someone goes off by themselves with a murderer loose, they wind up dead." He patted his stomach. "I gotta be careful for two now."  
  
"Fine. Someone go with him."  
  
"Don't look at me," Wash said. "You don't pay me enough to watch Jayne go potty."  
  
"I believe it's traditional to send the person who will seem most suspicious and guilty when the two of them inevitably get separated and Jayne goes missing," Book explained.  
  
"That'd be me," River said. "Let's go, Jayne."  
  
"Wait," Kaylee stopped her.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You have to say something creepy and ominous first that we'll all remember later when we get suspicious of you."  
  
"That's not true," Book said. "She also has the choice of saying something seemingly innocent, but rife with dramatic irony when viewed in hindsight."  
  
"Oh, yeah," River said. "Okay, Jayne. Let's go. I promise nothing will happen to you."  
  
Jayne burst into tears again. "Are you trying to get me killed?"  
  
###  
  
"Well, I guess that makes River the one who did it then," said Inara a short while later.  
  
"Now don't you go jumpin' to conclusions 'Nara," Kaylee said. "Jayne ain't even gone mysteriously missin' yet!"  
  
"He's only been gone....hmm, how long has he been gone? Anyone got a watch?"  
  
"No" "Nope" "Not as such" "I surely don't have one" "I think...no"  
  
"This is space, little meimei Kaylee," said Mal. "No need to tell time out here."  
  
"Then how do you know you've arrived on time to finish a job Mal? Huh?"  
  
"I don't recall you having a timepiece either, Inara. You just run on whore time?"  
  
"All right! That's it!" Simon yelled. Someone was being mean to his Captain. That just wasn't right. Also, his sister seemed to be missing.  
  
"I think I know how to solve this. Back in the Core the best parties were about just the kind of situation we're in now. I'm sure that if River weren't oddly and suspiciously missing she'd agree that this is the only way to figure out who killed ah...um..that woman!" Simon declared, pointing at the buxom figure still resting in her metal box.  
  
"Now Simon, you've told me about these shindigs and I ain't letting any law on my ship."  
  
"I told you?"  
  
"You talk in your sleep."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"But there wouldn't be any law, Mal, we could play the parts ourselves. Now we need a sheriff, a preacher, and a dead whore."  
  
"Well, I think I could more then adequately fill the position of the preacher," Book spoke up with.  
  
"I'm not so sure Book, you seem more like a sheriff to me. You can be that guy"  
  
"Who's the preacher then, Doc?" asked Zoe.  
  
"Hmm," Simon pondered. "Wash would be good for that. It's a real serious role."  
  
"And we already got the dead whore," Mal laughed pointing to Yo...no, Saff...nah, ...Bridg--the red head.  
  
"I don't know Mal, you really think she fits the part? The whores at these parties were always so classy."  
  
"We could kill Inara."  
  
"Mal!" Inara gasped. (Who knew Mal thought she was classy?)  
  
"That does seem a bit extreme, Mal," Shepherd Wash said in a calm and counseling-type manner.  
  
"The dead whore isn't really dead, just acting but I guess since we already have a body..."  
  
"I can still kill the one we got," Mal offered pulling his gun on Inara.  
  
"Hey!" Inara called out.  
  
"Maybe you could just lend the dead whore some clothes, Inara," Simon cajoled. "Then she would be classy." Simon aimed this at Mal.  
  
"No way!" Inara yelled. "I like my clothes dead-whore free."  
  
"You better get out of yours fast then," Mal leered, clicking the safety of the gun he had trained on her off.  
  
"Ahh!! Going going!" Inara yelped, running off to get some clothes for YoBridgeSaffLargeBreasts.  
  
"Well, I guess as soon as Inara gets back with some classy, yet whorish clothes we can start." said Simon.  
  
Just then River ran back into the Cargo Bay. "Gone! Gone!" she cried, her hands covered in blood.  
  
"Uhh...anyone else want to be the doctor this game?" Simon asked before passing out. 


	2. Chapter Two

"Guai," Mal cursed as Simon landed on the floor with a loud thunk. "Now who's gonna tell us what to do?"  
  
"Mal," Shepherd Wash said with great dignity, "I'll have to ask you not to use such language in front of the ladies." He turned to Book. "Cursing is a sin, right?"  
  
Sheriff Book clasped his hands together. "While not a sin, per say, certain types of curses such as oath-taking are often frowned upon. One school of thought is that ..." his voice trailed off as he noticed Wash's crestfallen expression. Book sighed and clapped Wash on the shoulder. "Very good, my son, er, my shepherd."  
  
Wash grinned. Mal rolled his eyes and turned to Zoe. "Remind me why you married him?"  
  
"I loved him, sir."  
  
"How is that poss--Kaylee!"  
  
The spunky mechanic looked up innocently from the floor where she was busily pulling Simon's pants off. "What?" she asked.  
  
"What the--" he looked at Wash, "something not a curse word are you doing?"  
  
"I'm giving him air," she said. "That's what they always do in books when someone passes out, loosen their clothes so they can breathe easier."  
  
"I don't think they loosen their pants," Mal ground out.  
  
"But captain," Kaylee admonished. "You're not actually a doctor."  
  
"Better safe than sorry," Inara said as she walked back into the room carrying an armful of clothing. She bent down. "Better let a professional do it. While I'm at it," she continued. "Perhaps I should loosen his underwear."  
  
"I can do it myself," Kaylee said. The two women fought, tugging at Simon's underwear until it suddenly ripped, laying Simon bare to all.  
  
"Well," Inara said. "He wasn't lying about that top three percent thing."  
  
"Now that I'm the sheriff I can look at these things," Book said eagerly as he bent down for a closer look. "Hmm, there's something written here on his, er, um--"  
  
"Cock," Inara supplied.  
  
"Uh, yes," Book said. "It says 'Property of M'--" He broke off as Mal's coat landed over Simon and shielded the word from everyone's eyes.  
  
"I'm sure," Mal said as his ears turned bright red, "That Simon will be fine if we just let him rest. In the meantime, aren't we forgetting something?"  
  
"What?" Kaylee said disgruntedly, as Mal smacked away her hand, which had been sneaking toward the edge of the coat.  
  
"That," he said, pointing at River and her blood-covered hands, "and that" pointing at Yo, uh, Saff, er, Bridg--a corpse with large breasts and red hair. "Shepherd?"  
  
"Yes, Mal?" Wash said, snapping to attention.  
  
"Sheriff, I mean," Mal said. "Shouldn't we question, River?"  
  
"Well, obviously, someone should," Book said. "Preferably me." He snorted as he shook his head. "You're clearly new at this. We professionals call it interrogating."  
  
"Question, interrogate, whatever. River, what happened?" Mal said turning back to the girl. River didn't answer. She was gone.  
  
"Zoe," Mal began, before realizing that Zoe, as well, was no longer in the cargo bay. "Tzao gao," Mal groaned. "Now what?"  
  
"We could split up and look for them," Kaylee suggested.  
  
"No way," Mal said. "Y'all heard what Jayne said. That'd just be invitin' trouble."  
  
"I'm not worried," Kaylee explained. "I'm spunky. That means that inevitably I'm the heroine or the love interest or the comic relief, and those three always survive."  
  
"What about shepherds?" Wash asked.  
  
Kaylee shook her head. "Almost never."  
  
"Whaat?" Wash shrieked. "Simon didn't mention that. I don't want to be the shepherd anymore. Book can be the shepherd."  
  
"Book is the shepherd," Mal muttered.  
  
There was a groan from the floor. "Wha happened?" Simon asked, as he came- to. He paused and frowned, before peeking beneath the coat that covered him. "And why am I naked?" 


	3. Chapter Three

"There was a situation, Doc." Mal explained.

"What kind of situation involved stealing my pants?!" Simon asked as he pulled Mal's coat further around himself.

"Oh, we didn't steal them," answered Inara. "They're still under there somewhere."

"Inara?!" Simon blurted out.

"It was a professional judgment call," Inara replied defensively, while conspicuously avoiding looking at Simon.

"Besides," she continued "I'm not the one that stole your underwear."

Simon and Mal turned to look accusingly at Kaylee.

"Why's everyone lookin' at me?" she queried.

"Well, you are the most obvious suspect," Book replied. "Not that I pay attention to such things usually, but I can now."

"I haven't got nothing," Kaylee answered while holding up her empty hands.

"You could have stashed them while we were all distracted," Mal said.

"You mean like our good shepherd is doing right now?" Inara asked.

Everyone turned to look at Book.

"The other one," Inara said in a somewhat exasperated manner, pointing to Wash who was not so subtly walking backwards, his hands obscured behind his back.

"Wash?" Mal asked as everyone turned confusedly toward the pilot-turned-Shepherd.

"Is it my fault Zoe appreciates the feeling of fine silk?" Wash asked.

"She ain't going to be feeling anything if she's dead, Wash," Mal answered, irritated.

"My wife! She's gone suspiciously missing!" Wash cried out, barely drowning out Book's grumbling.

"Not shepherd-like at all," Book muttered in disgust.

"We were going to split up in not at all unpractical groups to go find her," Kaylee supplied helpfully.

"This is all your fault if something happens to my lambytoes," Wash accused, pointing a shaking finger at Simon.

"My fault?!"

"You and your convenient nakedness and fine quality underwear!"

"Boy just doesn't take his vows seriously. A wife? Non regulation underwear? Not shepherd-like at all."

"Regulation underwear? I really don't want to be shepherd now." Wash whined. "Mal? Make someone else be the shepherd."

"Wash, if it'll help us figure out what's going on then you're gonna be the shepherd now, or you ain't going to be the pilot when this is all over, dong ma?"

"Zoe would never let you get rid of me!"

"Really Wash? How's her corpse going to do that?"

"My sweet wife! We gotta find her Mal!"

Mal put his hand over his face.

"Are we going to split up and search the dark recesses of this ship in small, easily overtaken groups or not?" Inara asked.

"Mal, I want my wife back."

"Just see if he gets to go on the good missionary journeys now."

"Uh, Cap'n'?"

"Yeah, Kaylee?"

"Don't we need to look for River too? Wasn't she just here before? All covered in blood and whatnot? 'Cause she ain't here anymore."

"My sister was here?" Simon asked. "When?"

"Just before you passed out and got naked," answered Kaylee.

"Oh. That makes sense, but where is she now? And what happened to Jayne?"

"Jayne! I knew we were forgetting something," Mal said. "Also, River was covered in blood and spouting crazy talk."

"Not again," Simon sighed.

"Again?" Wash asked.

"Uh, nevermind. We should probably go split up and look for them now."

"I thought we agreed on this, Simon?" Mal said.

"Agreed? Since when do you do anything but order?" Simon replied.

"I don't during other...things." Simon looked at Mal in disbelief.

"What other things?" Kaylee asked innocently, interrupting.

"Yeah Mal, what other things?" Simon goaded, standing up and moving closer to Mal, pants now firmly in place.

"Simon and I'll go together," Mal replied quickly. "He's still new to such things and needs more experience."

"New to what experiences exactly?" Inara asked.

"Ship-type things," Mal answered. "And things that take place in ships."

"Mal, don't you think that it would be better if you and I went together?" asked Inara.

"Why?"

"You know, dark, confined spaces, complicated maneuvering," Inara cajoled.

"You can go with, Kaylee," Mal suggested.

"Nevermind."

"But who do I get to go with?" asked Wash, while strapping half of the ship's ammunition stores to himself.

"You can go with Book!" Kaylee suggested cheerfully, from where she was seated on a near-by crate.

"Aw, do I have to?" Wash complained.

"I thought you wanted to find your wife," Mal replied, becoming increasingly more annoyed.

"My sweet Zoe!"

"So just shut up and take what you can get. Besides, I'm sure in the short time since Simon made Book sheriff, Book's studied up on weapons protocol and such."

"Actually..." Book began.

"Right then," Simon said, cutting off the good Shepherd Sheriff. "Mal and I will go look for River."

"Hey!" Kaylee shouted, interrupting. "How come Simon gets to make rules now?"

"He doesn't," Mal answered hurriedly, while taking a conspicuous step away from the doctor. "You and Inara should go look for Jayne" Mal said, asserting his captainly authority. "I'm sure that he'll be needing the comfort of womenfolk, what with his condition and all."

"What about us?" asked Wash, gesturing between himself and Book.

"Your wife?" replied Mal, who was getting increasingly more aggravated. He and Simon needed to look through all of Serenity's closets and storage areas as soon as possible.

"Zoe!" Wash shouted, running up the nearest flight of stairs, while putting on what looked to be an ancient helmet of some sort.

"Supposed to be calm in all thought and deed," Book grumbled, slowly following Wash out of sight.

"Girls?" Mal said loudly while clearing his throat. Kaylee and Inara looked up from where they had been whispering to each other. They stared at Mal blankly. "Pregnant guy, about this tall..." Mal said, gesturing a few inches above his own head.

Inara and Kaylee hopped up from where they had been sitting. "Come on Nara, we should start with your shuttle."

At Mal's disbelieving look, Kaylee added, "I'm sure that in his delicate state, Jayne would need somewhere comfortable to hide, is all."

Just as the girls were about to disappear from view Inara leaned over the railing nearest to her.

"Mal?" she called down. "What if we find River or you find Zoe? How are we supposed to find each other again?"

"Knew we forgot something," Mal mumbled under his breath, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Simon. "Just meet up at the corpse," he replied, loud enough for Inara to hear. "I'm sure nothing will stop us from getting back here eventually. Besides, in the cortex vids, don't these mysterious killers only go after virgins?"

"Something like that," Inara replied.

"Then we're all fine," Mal stated. "Or we will be soon enough" he added, looking at Simon.

As everyone began to wander off to begin their searches Kaylee's voice floated down to the empty cargo bay. "If they only go after virgins, how come Saff-—-the crazy redhead, got killed?"


	4. Chapter Four

"Up the stairs, down the stairs, can't make his mind up about anything," Book was grumbling as he and Wash crept down the passageway toward the passenger dorms, each of them checking the doors on opposite sides of the hall. "He probably doesn't even know the difference between rosemary and basil. _I_ wasn't even allowed to speak until I'd tended the abbey gardens for--"

"In here," Wash shouted excitedly.

Book darted over, raising his bible high over his head in order to thump any lurking evil doers. The shepherd cum sheriff gasped in shock as he peered in the doorway. Wash held Jayne's orange hat in his hands. "It's perfect," the pilot bibbled.

"Is that so?" Book said doubtfully. "For what exactly?"

Wash gave Book a disappointed glare. "Your new hat! You can't be a proper sheriff without a hat, everyone knows that."

"But ... that hat?"

Wash shrugged. "Hey, it wasn't my idea. You were the one who said we should go look for Jayne's hat."

Book clapped his hand to his forehead. "For Jayne, Wash. Just Jayne. No hat. And River and your wife, of course."

"My wife!" Wash cried. "She's missing!" He grabbed Book by the arms, shaking him roughly. "We have to find her."

"You really can't hold more than one thought in your head at a time, can you?" Book said shaking his head. "Like to see him memorize 19 bible passages a day for a year," he muttered under his breath.

They were interrupted by a loud cry from the next room. In unison, they turned and ran toward the sound. Inside the room, they found Jayne laying in bed, covered in blood and holding a blanket-wrapped bundle. Zoe and River were with him.

"My wife!" Wash exclaimed. "I found you."

"Took you long enough, husband," Zoe said. "And where's that idiot doctor of ours? It's bad enough River had to deliver the baby. The least he could do is show up for the after care."

"Nobody knew where you were," Book said drily.

Zoe looked as if she'd like to slap someone. "River runs in covered with blood shouting about the baby and needing help, and you don't know where I went?'

"We were a bit occupied by the naked fainting doctor."

"I wasn't," Wash assured hastily with a sideways glance at Zoe.

"You were stealing the boy's underwear!" Book said. He paused in confusion. "I distinctly remember River shouting about something being gone, but everything looks fine."

Zoe sighed the sigh of the long-suffering. "Jayne wanted his hat, but River couldn't find it," she explained, pointing at Book's head.

Jayne sniffed. "My mama made me that hat. I always pictured my mama being with me at a time like this."

"You pictured a time like this?"

Jayne pursed his lips and pouted. "Y'all ain't even asked to see her yet."

The two men leaned forward, as Jayne pulled back the blanket.

"Huh," Book said. They all turned to look at him. "It's just--a child of Jayne and Saffron's? I was expecting more horn."

Wash nodded sagely in perfect understanding. "I was betting on claws myself. You know? The whole ripping-it's-way-out-through-the-front-of-Jayne's-belly type of kid."

Jayne crossed his legs delicately with great dignity. "My child," he sniffed. "Is beautiful." Jayne's little cherub had wings.


	5. Chapter Five

"She just takes after my side of the family is all," Jayne pouted.

"Jayne's family has wings? Why am I not surprised?" Wash stages whispered to Zoe.

"Not all of 'em, just my great-granny. On account of her parents being cousins and all. And them living in that old missile silo." Jayne paused, an odd (for him) thoughtful looks on his face. "She always said that they must've helped her win all those hog wrassling ribbons. We Cobb's are still the most famous family in town."

"Isn't that … special," Book finally said, after an overly long lull in the conversation.

"Zoe?" Wash asked quietly.

Zoe raised an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't we be looking for the doc? Especially as God willing he's as far away from this room as possible?"

"A Shepard never takes God's name in vain, son," Book stated a bit threateningly from his new position directly behind Wash.

Wash let out what he later claimed was a manly yelp, and pulling his wife after him, ran from the room.

***

Meanwhile back at the ran…shuttle, Inara and Kaylee were doing their best to locate Jayne, despite the rather challenging hindrance of being half-naked and kissing against a bulkhead. "This was a great idea Nara. Jayne never could stop himself from watchin' two girls kiss."

"Mmhmm," Inara mumbled, distracted.

Just then a Hawaiian printed blur wearing a helmet passed by.

Kaylee and Inara shrugged their shoulders at one another and continued their 'search' for Jayne.

They didn't even notice when Zoe passed sedately by, shaking her head, a few minutes alter.

***

Zoe finally found her husband, distressed, in the doorway to the infirmary.

"I can't find the doc," he managed to get out, as he continued his nervous pacing.

"I have an idea where he may be," Zoe stated.

"Really?" Wash replied, surprised.

"Yes, husband. I do know the captain fairly well, after all."

"How do you know that Simon'll be with Mal?"

Zoe just gave Wash a look.

Wash had no clue what Zoe meant to say by that, but there was no place safer on Serenity then with his Zoe, so he played along.

"Oh…right," he said, in what he hoped was a convincing 'agreeing' tone.

Zoe merely gave a weary sigh in response. "We should get started looking through all the hidden storage compartments. The doc seems mighty flexible, and I'd like to find him before he and the captain are too…busy to be any use to us."

With that Zoe strode off the very short distance to the cargo bay, and Wash quickly began to follow, still unconvinced Jayne wasn't about to birth an army of creepy Jayne-spawn.

Surely there was stuff written in the Bible about what to do in such situations. Wash told himself to remember to ask Book when he saw him next. 'This shepherd business sure is complicated," he mused. But until then he knew he'd be safe with his Zoe. 'My Zoe!' Wash thought suddenly. 'I can't lose her again, even if tomorrow is another day!' he declared to himself, a hand raised up in the air, in a show of some kind of emotion. Still frightened of mini-flying Jaynes, but determined to stick with his wife, Wash set off for the cargo bay.

***

"Shepherd?" "Crazy girl?" "Momma?" Jayne called out plaintively, and increasingly pathetically into the room. It was just like his shipmates to disappear in his time of need, Jayne thought. 'See how nice I am when they all give birth.'

"It's okay, Steve," Jayne tried to convince his squalling daughter. "I bet that extremely flexible doc'll know what's botherin' you."

Steve, for her part merely continued to sob, blinking her bright purple eyes at her moth...father. Maybe she was adopted. She hoped she was anyway.


End file.
